The Municipal Court is an independent branch of city government, overseen by an elected judge, and separate from the executive and legislative branches. The executive branch is overseen by an elected mayor who oversees the police and other departments in the city. The legislative branch is the Common Council, consisting of elected alderpersons who, among other things, enact ordinances.

The Municipal Court deals exclusively with non-criminal, municipal ordinance violations that occur within the city limits. Ordinance violations include a wide array of offenses, from assault to zoning violations, and non-parking traffic violations.

Parking citations are generally handled by the Police Department. The exceptions are (1) if you plead not guilty, or (2) you do not want to contest the ticket but want to request time to pay the ticket. In both exceptions, you should appear in court in person, by mail or by telephone, or call the Court Clerk for instructions. Mail correspondence should include the ticket number and your name and address.

Violations (cases) are brought to the court’s attention upon the issuance of a citation, often referred to as a “ticket.” At the top of the citation is a date, commonly referred to as an Initial Appearance Date. This date is your opportunity to appear in court personally, at your choice of 10:30 a.m. or 5:30 p.m., regardless of the time that might be shown on the citation.